Caterpillar Facility Breaks Ground

Construction giant Caterpillar breaks ground Friday near Athens on a new $200 million facility. The site borders Athens-Clarke and Oconee counties.

Company officials say its new plant is creating 1,400 jobs.

But University of Georgia economic forecaster Jeff Humphreys sees more employment opportunities popping up in Athens-Clarke and Oconee counties:

“For every job at the plant, we get an additional 2.4 jobs outside the plant. A lot of those additional jobs are at supplier firms. In other words, companies that are providing services or input to the plant itself.”

Caterpillar officials say they may start producing and selling its construction and mining equipment at its new facility by late 2013